Prognosticators keep us from focusing on what is truly important

Wednesday

Feb 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM

There are some prognosticators who should be stoned or at least shown the door.

There are some prognosticators who should be stoned or at least shown the door.

My football team will not be going to the Super Bowl this year. Fact of the matter is, it's been given, out of pity, better draft picks from the graduating college class. However, "those in the know" predicted glory for this team — a dynasty.

It was supposed to compete at the highest level and even play in February, going for the gold. They were wrong. Dead wrong. The team's defense was as stiff as a wet paper cloth and its offense showed as much pep as a toothless man trying to gum a steak. Oh, how I wish I still had those emails from fellow fans touting what these sportscasters were saying. Then, I would know who to blame and stone.

This follows on the heels of an election in which the challenger could not lose. Record unemployment, looming fiscal cliff, bulging deficit, etc. Most of the political-wonks were calling it a landslide win for the opposition. A no-brainer. In the bag. Take it to the bank. They could not have been any more wrong. No politics in this article, but how could they be so far off the mark?

And then there are groundhogs. With much fanfare, pomp and circumstance, and loyalty, we patiently wait for this "rodent" to come out of its hole and predict how much longer a miserable winter will be. Since camera crews with bright lights are focused on its every twitch as it lumbers out of its hole, naturally, or should we say, unnaturally, it sees its shadow.

But, when have these "woodchucks," "whistle pigs" or "land-beavers" ever called it correctly? And when it doesn't, does anyone take him to task? No, the day after Groundhog day, we forget all about the tubby, furry ones — unless, of course, you're Bill Murray.

Finally, our friends, the Mayans, let us down as well. Their calendar ended toward the end of December with no more time. Did they think the world would come to an end? Did they anticipate a meteorite obliterating the world? Maybe they thought we'd be overrun by sportscasters, political prognosticators and groundhogs. We should have known better than to trust a culture which could not even predict its own demise to the Spaniards.

Infinitely more important than sports, politics, weather or stupid predictions is our understanding of, and willingness to work within, the times in which we live. "Today," as that saying goes, "is the first day of the rest of your life." We need to live within the present. However, we should be preparing for the future. Not just the immediate future, but our ultimate future — the afterlife.

The Good Book is pretty clear that there is life after this life. And it's what's done in this life that leads to the next.